Pintail snipe taxonomy

The family Scolopacidae comprises waders or shorebirds. Most of the species in this family have narrow bill. The bills are sensitive, allowing the birds to feel the mud and sand as they probe for food. These bird generally have cryptic dull plumage.

Most of these species nest in open areas and there are aerial courtship displays.The nest is usually a shallow scrape on the ground. The typical clutch contains three or four eggs. The hatchlings in most of the species are precocial and follow the parents for foraging.

There are more than fifteen genera under the family Scolopacidae. The genus Gallinago contains seventeen species.